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The largest puppet in Nothing Really Matters is known as the “Bed Beast” or “The Beast Which Shames Rest,” humorously nicknamed “The Nothing Really Mattress.”
This key figure represents Quinn’s (the Protagonist) restless, anxiety-filled sleepless nights. The puppet, capable of autonomous movement, swallows Quinn whole, symbolizing her internal struggle. In the story, the Bed Beast also serves as Quinn’s bed, transforming at night into a monstrous mouth with spring-like teeth that dramatically consumes her. The design of the “Bed Beast” focused on safety and functionality. It was crafted from two layers of dense foam encasing a crash mat, with foam strips connected by PVC pipes forming the bed’s surface. A recess carved into the foam allowed me to nestle into the bed, making it appear animated as it wobbled, enhancing its lifelike quality. The illusion of the puppet swallowing Quinn was achieved by draping the top foam layer over me, with ‘teeth’ crafted from foam pool noodles covered in striped fabric. |
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"Shadow Box Puppets” were originally produced for Nothing Really Matters based off of the animated characters from Aerial Animation. These unique puppets seamlessly blend elements of toy theater and shadow puppets, allowing for dynamic interactions with projected digital and stop-motion animation. With the ability to perform in front of or behind projected animation, these versatile puppets enhance the potential for creating immersive cause-and-effect interactions between puppets, animations, and myself as a non-verbal aerial acrobatic storyteller.
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Each tree in the "Animistic Forest" in Nothing Really Matters, was crafted on a miniature scale, standing less than a foot tall, with leaves as small as a dime. Thirteen tree trunks were hand-cut from black cardstock, with intricate patterns resembling bark. To give the forest a lifelike quality, eyes, noses, and mouths were cut into the bark patterns.
The leaves were made from two layers—handmade paper for texture and translucency, and black cardstock for support. Over 100 miniature leaf puppets were created in eight colors, representing different stages of a leaf’s life cycle. In the final presentation, the miniature forest was projected to a height of fifteen feet, allowing my life-sized shadow to move through the “Animistic Forest,” creating a dramatic interplay of scale for storytelling. |
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Together with my colleague Jaron Hollander, A toy theater production was created based on Maurice Sendak’s We Are All in the Dumps with Jack and Guy, featuring a blend of two-dimensional digital animations and flat tabletop puppets. The show replicated Sendak’s illustrations in both puppet and animated forms, allowing for a seamless transition between the physical and digital elements. This approach created a unique experience, where objects on stage could fluidly shift between real-world puppets and animated images, enhancing the storytelling and visual presentation.
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This traditional stop-motion clay puppet is constructed from 1/16” armature wire, PC-Plumbing Epoxy Putty, aluminum foil, masking tape, and polymer clay.
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Over the years, I’ve produced many intricate cut-paper shadow puppets for a variety of productions. One notable project was for Etsy’s Edward Gorey-esque Halloween event, where I designed a landscape film which was projected onto three walls of a warehouse. The looping film featured whimsical characters performing obscure tasks, including a cat with nine lives.
Another highlight is Nimbus, an interdisciplinary performance that combined 2D digital animation with projection mapping onto a 2.5D cloud sculpture. The animation was synchronized with live-cue software to complement a transcendent piano performance by Morgan Lee. The shadow puppets in Nimbus inspired the creation of my “Shadow Box Puppets” featured in Nothing Really Matters. |
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Creating intricate cut-paper cards, landscapes, and characters for short stop-motion animations is one of my specialties. I take great pride in the detailed craftsmanship required, and I find joy in layering textures, colors, and assembling moving parts to bring characters to life. The tactile and visual aesthetic of this process brings me a lot of joy.
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“Isa Can’thear Ya” is a foam and fabric puppet, carefully flat-patterned, glued, and sewn together. By day, she’s a no-nonsense librarian making sure you know exactly where to return your books, but by night, she transforms into a love shack party girl who’s always ready to shimmy!
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This charming little gnome perches on a spring-loaded post, as cute as can be. But beware—she has a mischievous reputation for sneaking into family gardens and snacking on little children!
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Casting and mold making using a variety of materials!
I working with clay to create both positive and negative molds, and take great satisfaction in the detailed craftsmanship of the process. |
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Creating sculptures and puppets with wire demands patience and a keen eye for detail, both of which I find deeply rewarding. I love incorporating the vibrant colors of telephone wire and experimenting with different wire gauges to add texture and bring unique movement to each piece.
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This monkey puppet was one of the first I ever built, crafted from masking tape and paper, covered with plaster casting strips, and finished with leather. Though my techniques have evolved over the years, this puppet holds a special place in my heart. Mischievous and not the sharpest, he’s always eager to perform magic tricks—though, more often than not, the joke ends up being on him!
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